Sesie 3 Bipsychology

_________________________________________________________Welcome to Session 3 of the Meditation and Yoga Philosophy ecourse.Before we do meditation, asanas, eat or sleep, we do what's called a"half-bath."That doesn't mean you wash only one side of your body!The half-bath is the yogic way of balancing the body temperature andcalming and refreshing the mind. It works by cooling the body,especially the organs, which usually get heated in daily activity. The half-bath also stimulates what's known as the "dive reflex" (thesame one that enables dolphins and other marine mammals to conserveoxygen when they dive), lowering the heart rate, respiration andblood pressure.It also cools the brain directly through the optic nerves when yousplash water in your eyes, and it strengthens the eyes too.Here's how to do it:* Use cold water, or lukewarm water in cold weather.* First go to the toilet, then pour some cold water over the urinaryorgan.* Then pour water on your arms up to the elbows, and your legs up tothe knees.* Take a mouthful of water, and while holding the water in yourmouth, splash water in your eyes and on your face at least 12 times.It's best to keep your eyes open, so the water hitting the surfacecan directly cool the retina and optic nerve.* Wet the ears and the back of the neck.* Flush the nose with water (but only if your stomach is empty): suckwater into each nostril and spit it out through the mouth. You canswallow the water, but it's better to spit it out. If you can't suckit through to the mouth, blow it out the opposite nostril. If youcan't do that, then blow it out the same nostril.

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Now do meditation, asanas, massage and deep relaxation.Remember: it's a matter of practice to be able to concentrate on thefeeling of the mantra. Keep practicing. Every time you realize yourmind has wandered away from the mantra, concentrate on it again - itwill get easier the more you do it.

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Biopsychology is the science of the relationship between the glands,hormones and the mind. The glands are the link between the body andmind. They secrete the hormones that affect the way we feel. So theydetermine the emotions, based on signals from the mind. For example,we all know that we feel a fright in the gut. That's because the mindgives the "fright" signal to the adrenal glands at the level of thestomach. It can also work the other way as well: the glands alsoaffect the mind.Here are some examples:* Did you know that when the sex glands develop, we get the sense ofduty and responsibility? That's why children don't have such a goodsense of responsibility. The sex glands also give rationality andintelligence.* The prostate and other glands in the navel area develop around theage of five. That gives the feeling of shyness. Of course you'venoticed that children under five are not ashamed to run around naked.If there's an over-secretion of hormones from this area, it causesmental depression. An undersecretion causes increased fear.* We feel love in the heart through subtle glands in the chest.Normally that love is for our close family and friends, especiallychildren, but it can be expanded to universal love.* The thyroid gland (at the throat) controls the metabolism of thewhole body. It also gives the feeling of self-reliance. Theparathyroids (around the thyroid) cause intellectuality andrationality.* The pituitary gland (in the center of the brain) controls all thelower glands. It's also the seat of the mind. Through it, it'spossible to know everything - past, present and future!* The pineal gland - at the top of the brain - is the master gland.It controls the mind as well as the body. It's this gland that'sactivated when we meditate. The hormone melatonin, which it secretes,gives the feeling of bliss - infinite happiness.Continue your meditation to feel that bliss.

Session 2 : YOGA POSTURES

Session 2 - Yoga Postures

In Sanskrit, we call yoga postures "asanas". Asana means a "posturegiving physical comfort and mental composure." Yogis in the pastobserved that animals had characteristics that were related to theirposture. In other words, the posture affects the mind.So the main effect of yoga postures is on the mind.That's because they put pressure on the internal glands, and thatbalances the hormones secreted from the glands. It's the hormonesthat affect how we feel. If the hormones are balanced, the emotionswill also be balanced.So yoga postures keep the mind calm and balanced, and prepare it formeditation.They also have many physical benefits: they increase the flexibilityof the spine and joints, massage the internal organs, as well as curemany diseases.Now we'll go through three yoga postures that are very simple andeffective. If you practice them daily, you'll soon see how they keepyour mind calm and relaxed, making it a lot easier to concentrate.

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Find a warm, clean room (usually the same one you use for meditation)and lay a blanket on the floor. Make sure there's no draught. Ifyou've eaten in the last hour or so, wait until your stomach is lessfull (2-3 hours after eating).* The first asana is called Yogamudra: Sit cross-legged. Hold yourleft wrist with your right hand behind your back. Slowly loweringyour chin, then your neck, bend down as far as you can go, breathingout as you go down. Stay there for 8 seconds with your breath heldout then rise up, breathing in. Practice eight times.* Now the Cobra: Lie down on your stomach. Put your hands facing downon the floor beside your ears. Supporting your weight on your palms,push up and raise the chest, looking up towards the ceiling. Breathein while rising, and hold your breath in that position for 8 seconds.Come down to original position while breathing out. Practice eighttimes.* Finally the Long Salutation: Kneel down with your buttocks restingon your heels and your toes pointing forward. With your palmstogether, extend your arms up next to your ears. Slowly bring yourarms and head down as one, first bending your neck then the wholeupper body, until your fingers hit the floor, keeping your buttockson your heels all the time. Now stretch out along with your foreheadand nose resting on the floor. Breathe out as you go down and staythere with your breath held out for 8 seconds. Then rise up,breathing in. Practice eight times.

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During asanas, a particular type of oil is secreted from thesebaceous glands out of the pores of the skin. This is beneficial tothe skin, so after asanas we do a skin massage to rub it back in.The skin massage increases the beauty and glow of the skin. It alsorelaxes the nerves, and increases the blood and lymph flow. It's nota deep muscle massage. It's a light going-over of the skin, as wellas some extra attention to the lymph glands - under the chin andaround the throat, under the armpits, in the groin, and behind theknee.* First rub your palms together a few times to warm them up. Start atthe head and face and work down. Rub your hands directly over thesurface of the skin, and when you get down to your feet, payparticular attention to the soles. That will indirectly give yourinternal organs a good massage as well.

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Now we'll finish this session with "deep relaxation."It gives the body a chance to assimilate the positive energy of theasanas. It also relieves stress, lowers blood pressure, and decreasesthe need for sleep.* Using the same blanket as for asanas, lie on your back with yourarms by your side, and make sure that your breathing is calm andrelaxed. Now go through your whole body, starting at your feet,consciously making sure that each part is completely relaxed - withno muscular tension at all. Go from the feet up the legs, consciouslychecking each part, into the groin area, into the abdomen (alsofeeling that your internal organs are relaxed), into the chest andshoulders, from the fingers and hands up the arms, then into the neckand up into the face, relaxing the facial muscles, including theeyes, and finally to the top of the head, feeling your brain is alsorelaxed. Check once more that your breathing is calm and relaxed, andimagine you're lying in the most soothing place you can think of: itcould be floating on top of the sea, suspended in space, on top of amountain - wherever you like. Now stay like that, fully relaxed, fora few more minutes.

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SEKOLAH BERTARAF INTERNASIONAL; BENARKAH ?

Oleh : Drs. I Nyoman Purnajaya,M.Pd

Akhir-akhir ini istilah Sekolah Bertaraf Internasional semakin sering kita dengar baik dari kalangan dunia pendidikan maupun di masyarakat. Bahkan istilah itu cenderung berubah menjadi bahasa iklan yang digunakan oleh sekolah-sekolah untuk mempromosikan diri kepada para orang tua siswa yang sedang memilih sekolah bagi putra-putrinya. Sekolah-sekolah dengan kurikulum asing sering juga menyebut diri sebagai sekolah internasional. Pada hal sebenarnya sekolah-sekolah asing semacam ini berbeda dari sekolah bertaraf internasional atau yang lebih dikenal dengan SBI. Sebuah sekolah asing belum tentu merupakan sekolah bertaraf Internasional. Yang lebih membingungkan adalah sekolah-sekolah yang tidak menunjukkan karakter bertaraf internasional tetap menyebut diri sebagai sekolah bertaraf internasional. Di sisi lain masyarakat belum memiliki pengetahuan dan wawasan yang memadai tentang sekolah Bertaraf Internasional baik secara substansial maupun konstektual akibat dari kurangnya sosialisasi. Karena itu masyarakat perlu diberikan informasi yang jelas mengenai sistem persekolahan di negeri ini paling tidak dari tampakan masing-masing jenisnya.
Di Indonesia ada 2 jenis sekolah, yakni sekolah asing dan sekolah nasional. Sekolah asing adalah sekolah dengan tatacara dan kurikulum asing tetapi beroperasi di Indonesia yang diperuntukkan bagi warga negara asing tersebut seperti warga kedutaan, pekerja asing dan sebagainya. Sekolah nasional adalah sekolah dengan kurikulum nasional, baik yang diadaptasi dari sekolah bertaraf Internasional maupun tidak. Berdasarkan mutunya, sekolah nasional dibedakan menjadi 3 level. Standar mutu ini diperoleh melalui akreditasi dan evaluasi secara khusus. Ketiga kategori itu adalah: Sekolah Standar, Sekolah Kategori Mandiri (SKM) dan Sekolah Bertaraf Internasional (SBI ). Masing-masing kategori memiliki variabel pembeda yang dapat dirasakan oleh para siswa yang mengikuti pendidikan di sekolah tersebut. Beberapa variabel juga terlihat secara kasat mata. Masyarakat kiranya perlu mengetahui variabel-variabel tersebut.
Pada tulisan ini pembicaraan akan difokuskan kepada sekolah Bertaraf Internasional dengan asumsi bahwa dua level sekolah sebelumnya telah ada di masyarakat selama ini. Secara kuantitatif dan kualitatif sebuah sekolah bertaraf Internasional memiliki beberapa acuan yang mudah dilihat dan dirasakan oleh masyarakat terutama oleh siswa. Acuan-acuan tersebut antara lain adalah : sekolah menerapkan kurikulum adaptasi Internasional (adapted curriculum), sekolah menerapkan pembelajaran dengan bahasa pengantar bahasa Inggris terutama pada bidang MIPA dan Bahasa Inggris (English Integrated to subject matter), menerapkan pembelajaran berbasis Teknologi Informasi dan Komunikasi ( ICT based learning) dan menerapkan management berbasis Teknologi Informasi dan Komunikasi ( ICT based management). Sarana prasarana pembelajaran seperti laboratorium, perpustakaan, ruang pertunjukan, ruang multimedia dan jaringan intranet maupun internet tersedia secara lengkap dan berfungsi secara baik. Input siswa terseleksi secara baik , proses pendidikan berlangsung berimbang antara akademik dan non akademik , memiliki output berdaya saing tinggi secara nasional maupun internasional dalam perebutan bangku kuliah di Perguruan Tinggi serta sanggup memberi dan menerima akses secara internasional menggunakan media komunikasi mutakhir. Pembentukan rombongan belajar dan proses pembelajaran didasarkan atas teori-teori yang terbukti sukses di negara-negara maju serta adanya kolaborasi pendidikan secara internasional. Dengan kata lain sebuah Sekolah Bertaraf Internsional adalah sekolah yang telah memiliki standar lebih tinggi daripada sekolah pada level yang lain menyangkut 8 standar pendidikan nasional. Tentunya orang tua siswa harus merogoh kocek lebih tinggi untuk membiayai semua kelebihan ini dibandingkan dengan siswa pada sekolah level lainya. Bahkan pemerintahpun harus bersedia mengeluarkan anggaran lebih untuk memelihara sekolah-sekolah bertaraf internasional tanpa mengesampingkan peran sekolah pada level yang lain.
Selanjutnya, masyarakat terutama para orang tua siswa dapat bertanya kepada dirinya dan putra-putrinya yang bersekolah pada sekolah-sekolah yang berlabel Sekolah Bertaraf Internasional. Pertanyaan-pertanyaan utama yang perlu diajukan adalah : Apakah kurikulumnya diadaptasi dari kurikulum sekolah bertaraf Internasional ? Apakah Bahasa Inggris diintegrasikan ke dalam pembelajaran terutama pembelajaran MIPA ? Apakah sarana pembelajarannya lengkap atau tidak ? Apakah pembelajaran berbasis ICT? Apakah ada keseimbangan antara kegiatan kurikuler dan pengembangan diri ( ekstrakurikuler, pembinaan kepribadian dan lain-lain)? Apakah rombongan belajar dibentuk berdasarkan teori-teori pendidikan yang baik dan memperhatikan segi fisik dan psikis siswa? Apakah sebagian besar lulusannya diterima di Perguruan Tinggi Bermutu baik di dalam maupun di luar negeri ? Apakah sebagian besar lulusannya sukses dalam menempuh pendidikan lanjutan maupun menempuh kehidupan selanjutnya ? Apakah biaya pendidikan di sekolah tersebut lebih tinggi daripada sekolah -sekolah lainnya ? Jika hampir semua pertanyaan ini terjawab “ya”, berarti secara umum sekolah tersebut adalah sekolah Bertaraf Internasional. Sebaliknya bila hampir semua pertanyaan itu terjawab “tidak” maka berarti sekolah tersebut bukan Sekolah bertaraf Internasional meskipun memasang label sebagai Sekolah Bertaraf Internasional.
Secara mendetail Direktorat Jendral Pembinaan SMA telah menggunakan sekitar 200 indikator untuk mengetahui apakah sebuah sekolah merupakan sekolah sudah pada level sekolah bertaraf internasional atau belum. Namun tak semua indikator tersebut kasat mata bagi masyarakat umum dan memerlukan kemampuan lebih lanjut untuk mengkajinya. Beberapa pertanyaan di atas merupakan instrumen untuk melihat indikator paling depan dari sebuah sekolah bertaraf Intrnasional.
Dengan mengetahui secara substansial dan kontekstual makna apa yang terkandung di balik istilah Sekolah Bertaraf Internasional diharapkan masyarakat bersikap kritis secara proporsional dan terarah terhadap kegiatan pendidikan seiring semakin tingginya wawasan terhadap dunia pendidikan. Hal ini dapat menjadi sumbangan yang berharga bagi kemajuan dunia pendidikan di negeri ini. Masyarakat jangan asal bicara, asal usul. Kalau mau usul jangan sekedar asal.